always regarded marriage as a sacrament of Christ and indissoluble (St.
Matt. 19:6). Protestantism, as much as it extols the virtues of marriage in
contrast to celibacy, preaches a form of marriage that is not strictly
Christian marriage. Together with eliminating consecrated celibacy, the so-
called Reformers of the sixteenth century introduced divorce (Henry VIII)
and even sanctioned polygamy (Luther and the Landgrave of Hesse). Going
further, since the Lambeth Conference of 1930, Protestantism also allows
contraception which abrogates procreation, one of the essential purposes of
marriage as established by God.
The Church forces no one into celibacy for it is a state of life that must be
freely chosen by the individual in response to the inspirations of the Holy
Spirit. Neither has anyone a right to ordination to the priesthood. However,
the Church by virtue of the power of the keys has the right and the power to
determine which persons may be ordained to the priesthood and under what
conditions. The Catholic Church over the centuries has come to realize that
in general a celibate rather than married clergy does better work for God’s
people. Candidates seeking ordination know the conditions well in advance
and are given on average seven years to discern God’s will for them and
make their final decision. Only those who know that they have been given
the gift of celibacy and embrace it wholeheartedly are welcomed and
ordained into the ministerial priesthood. Those who do not have the calling
to celibacy are free to serve God in the other ministries available to lay
people in the Church.
The Fathers
St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to Polycarp 5, 2 (c. 110 AD)
“If anyone is able to remain continent, to the honor of the flesh of the Lord,
let him so remain without boasting.”
Origen, Against Celsus 1, 26 (c. 248 AD)
“Certain ones among the Christians, from a desire of excelling in chastity,
and in order to worship God in greater purity, refrain even from physical
pleasures as are in accord with the law.”
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